By Ananda TeresiaJAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's presumed new president Prabowo Subianto paid tribute to the nation's past leaders during a triumphant victory speech on Wednesday, joking about his close ties to his ex-father-in-law and former authoritarian ruler, Suharto.
Addressing a sea of jubilant fans, the 72-year-old waxed lyrical about being carried in the arms of the nation's founder Sukarno, and offered gags about massaging former leader Abdurrahman Wahid and lunching with Suharto, Indonesia's second president.
"Regarding the second president, I know him quite well," he said as the crowd at the Senayan sports stadium roared.
With the second president, I often had lunch with him."
Suharto, Indonesia's late strongman president, oversaw decades of repressive rule and one of the world's most corrupt regimes before being forced to step down during mass protests and an economic crisis in 1998.
Persons:
Ananda Teresia, Prabowo Subianto, Suharto, Sukarno, Abdurrahman Wahid, lunching, Indonesia's, Prabowo, Titiek Suharto, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Gibran, Ida Yayan, Muhammad Luth, Joko Widodo, Kate Lamb, Nick Macfie
Organizations:
Ananda
Locations:
Ananda Teresia JAKARTA, illiberalism, Jakarta